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No 48- Vol. Vl.] American Bible Society. Nhth Annual Meeting held in New York, May 12. From the Neto York tip eclat or. The Annual Report was read by the Rev. Dr. M’Auley, of this city, and the successor of the Rev. Dr. Woodhuli as Recording Secretary. This ninth report, it was said, was presented with mingled emotions of sor row aod joy—sorrow at the death of asso oiates dearly and deservedly beloved, and joy that other associates, whose lives and labours seem essential to the extension and success of the Society, have been spared, and brought again from the borders of the gp'bve. Ihe report states that the continual ad Tancement of the bible cause—the increas ing disposition to aid its operations—the practical influence of the bible on the heart*, of thousands, delivering them from the do minion of ignorance—the almost total ex Unction of systematick opposition—the no interrupted love and harmony—the zeal and diligence of the officers, managers, directors and members of tbe Society, fill the hearts of the board with sentiments of admiration and gratitude to God for the past, and of hope and confidence for the future. The treasury for the last year has been supplied in a very encouraging degree, although from the peculiar circumstances of our im mense western territory, throughout which auxiliaries are scattered, the increase of in eome does not bear a full proportion to the increase of auxiliaries. But from the in creasing population and prosperity of that expanse of country, the prospect of efficient aid in future is very cheering. Both the •ales of bibles and tbe receipts of ihe treas ory exceed those of last year, and the bal ance remaining is encouraging. On the subject of the receipts of the So eieiv. the report notices for the purpose of Correc.iog Ihe unfounded and injurious opin ion’ currently circulated, and by many re ceived, the receipts from contributions and donations, independently of the return? from sales. It is a fact that the Society re turns in value, almost all that it receives in money. It is important that this erroneous impression should be corrected, both in the minds of the friends and enemies of the Bt ble cause. A belief that the Society has no necessity for increased resources, relax • the efforts of the benevolent; turns the benefactions of many into other channels ; misleads some auxiliaries so far, that they invest their surplus funds, rather than trans mit them to a treasury, supposed to be a! ready overflowing; others, to neglect the collection of their annual dues; and some, to cease from all operations. The whole amount of receipts during the last year, (ex elusive of voluntary contributions for tbe building of tbe Society’s house is summed apal $46,501 81 Payments from the treasury du riog the same period, $47,599 13 It is here proper to state, that tbe great •r part part ot the revenue was received during the two last months. Previously to that period the remittances were so limited and irregular, that (be printing and binding of the Society was necessarily and incouve niently curtailed. Had such not been the fact, the whole amount would have been expended in advancing the objects of the Society. The receipts, however, ultimate ly, were $4,589 37 more than duriug the preceding year. A legacy of S2OOO was received from the late Matthew Van Benschoten, Eq. of Fish kill, and the library has bee,n increased by a donation of Dr Marshman’s translation of a bible into Chinese-, and 27 volumes from a distinguished Roman Catholick Ecclesias tick in the island of Cuba. In regard to the Society’s Building, which is finished throughout, and affords ample ac oommodatious for all the various and exten sive operations of the Institution, a renewed expression of thanks to the benefactors who enabled the Society to erect it, without in fringing one dollar upon the ordinary funds, is tendered. A balance is still due -upon this edifice, the possession of which in fee •ecnres the Society at least SI6OO per an Bum; but it is expected that individual lib erality will soon enable the managers to tancel it. During the last year, there have been printed by the Society 22.750 English Bi bles; 23,000 Testaments; 2000 Spanish Testaments ; and 800 German Testaments have been purchased. Total, 48,550 Making in all, since the establishment --f the Society a grand total of 451,902 bibles and Testaments and parts of the latter print ed in New York, and at the Society’s branch in Kentucky, or otherwise obtained for dis tribution. Considerable progress has more over been made in the completion of the stereotype plates for the pocket bible men tioned in tbe eighth Annual report. It will probably be completed and the first edition printed in the course of the current year. The stereotype edition of the Testament, in large letter, for aged people, has been •ompleted since the last report, and four edit ions of 2000 copies each, printed and put in a course of useful circulation. There have been issued from tbe D? positorv, since tbe last Annual Report, 30. •94 Bibles; 33,106 Testaments; and 651 oopies of the Epistle of John in the Mo hawk and in the Delaware language—mak THE MISSIONARY. mg a grand total since the institution of the Society, of 372,913. This estimate does not include the issues from the Kentucky Depository, nor those purchased or receiv ed gratuitously from other sources by aux iliary Societies. Ot those issued from the Depository dur ing tbe nine years of its existence, there were ; Os German Bibles, 307 ; ditto Tes taments, 397; Spanish Bibles, 421; ditto Testaments, 1465; Portuguese Bibles, 2 y ditto Testaments, 2; Gaiie Bibles, 8 ; Welch ditto, 4; French ditto, 176. The number of Bibles and Testaments issued gratuitously during the 9th year, is stated as follows : English Bibles, 7,778 Do. Testaments, 9,197 Bibles in foreign languages, 483 Testaments and Gospels, do. 2.165 Total 19.623 Vlae, $10,447 44 The stereotype plates of the Spanish Bi ble, in (he version of Padre Scio, reported last year as being in an “unfinished state,” have been completed, entirely to the satis faction of the Board, and an edition of2ooo copies printed off, and put in a course of circulation. As this version has long been received by Ihe Spanish nation as an ap proved translation of the Bible, Ihe Maria gers believe it will have an uninterrupted, sppedy, and extensive circulation. The next division of the Report relates to the operations of the Society ; and, from the documents submitted, it satisfactorily appears that every exertion has been mat'e to supply the destitnte in every section • f the t T . S. and their territories. But had th fnnds of the Society been tenfold, they would not have been able to supply the as certained necessities of the poor. Sup plies have been graded to the Army of the U. States, at distant stations, and these supplies have been gratefully acknowledg ed by the officers; their (banks having been transmitted through the Adju'antGen eral. The Secretary of War also, and MujorGencralGaines , highly -approved of tbe liberality of the Board, and gave every fa cility necessary to the distribution, and eve ry security which their authority and inflo ence could give, for the safe-keeping, at the different posts, of ihe preemns tr'-a-ure. in (he last Report it was mentioned, that doubts existed as to the accuracy of the Mohawk translation of the Testament, and its circulation was suspends; but salisfac tory evidence has since been received, (bat the errours are few. and those principally in orthography. The suspension has there fore been removed, and grants of that im portant gospel made to the Indians who speak and read the Mohawk language at Green Bay, in the Michigan territory; at Grand River, in Upper Canada; and at Caughnawaga, aud St. Regi, in Lower Ca nada. These are tbe only places known to the Board where the scriptures in the Mo hawk language can be profitably circulated Furiher translations into the language of Ihe Six Nations, have occupied thp atlen lion of the Board; bat for the want of com petent assistance for a correct translation, but little progress has been made. The several schools am-mg the Indian tribes, however, where there are Missionary sta tions, and those schools under the care of the Foreign Missionary Society, have heen supplied with Engli-h Bihles, “through the medium of the New York Bible Society From South America important comma nications have been received Tbe ardour with w hich the Bihle is sought for, and the gratitude with which it is received, the free introduction of the New Testament, or parts of it, into some of the most important schools; the strong desire manifested by many to have the whole Bible in Ihe ver nacular languages of some of the most pop ulous and powerful provinces; the gradual decline of prejudice and opposition, and the cordial and affectionate co-operation of ma ny of the most influential clergv and laymen, are encouraging in the highest degree. And in addition to all this, the translation of Ihe whole New Testament, into the Gui chua or Peruvian language, spoken by more than a million of intelligent people! The certain prospects of the speedy completion of the translation of the whole Bible into that ancient and sacred language of the la cas, and also into the Aimora and Maxo languages, spoken by more than 200.000 people; and the formation of a Bible Soci ety in Carraccas, by the united exertions of the priests and laity of that place, cannot fail to gladdeo the heart of every one in terested in the spiritual emancipation of South America. Towards this result, in aid of translations, a grant of SSOO has been made by the Board Tbe Bibles formerly remitted to that country were duly receiv* ed; but of the manner of their disposal, or of the effect produced, io the unsettled parts of the country, no information has been received. They have information, however, that tbe Bible i* gladly received in Patagonia, io Monte Video, Bahia, tbe Brazils, in Valparaiso, Chili, and through out Mexico. The donation to St. Barthol oraews, mentioned in the lav report, was most seasonable—as many of the inhabi tant* had lost iheir Bibles by a very disas trous visitation of Providence, and were wholly ttoable to procure • supply, aod tbe nr.ii a- ‘V Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to everv creature —Jems Christ MOUNT ZI6N. (HANCOCK COUNTV, GEORGIA,) SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1825. Governour of the Island has expressed his gratitude for your kindness to the colony. There is a very increasing demand through all (hat group of islands for the Gospel of God, and there is reason to believe that it will meet with a full and satisfactory atten tion from the active agency of the Antigua Bible Society. As almoners of the British and Foreign Bible Society, the Board re ceived 100 Bibles and 210 Testaments, in the Por'uguese language, which were dis tributed in the Island of St. Jago, one of tbe Cape de Verd Islands. Tbe want of the scriptures io that island is very great, and the inhabitants so poor that they cannot procure them unless distributed gratuitous ly. The emigrants to Haytt have also been supplied through the New York Bible So ciety, and provision made for their Schools. Bibles and Testaments have also been sent to St. Martins and St. Cloix, and thankfully received. Tde Rev. John M. Peck, mentioned in the last annual report, as an agent of the Society in the States of Illinois and Missou ri, is still actively and advantageously em ployed. He has succeeded in organizing several new auxiliaries and branches—in exciting the publick attention to the itnpor tance of the subject—in adding new mem bers, and giving new efficiencies and zeal to several societies that were already in exis tence, and in reviving several that were in a very languishing state. Dr. Nathaniel Dwight, of Rhode Island, has been employ ed as an agent at the eastward, and the man agers have it m contemplation to employ others to promote the views of the institu tion. These agents are charged with the duty of gaiuing a full and accurate account of the resources and wants of every’ section of the country to which they Bre sent, that the Board may approximate as soon as pos sible to a perfect knowledge of the wants of the whole community. And they most affectionately and earnestly invile the ai tention of £very Stale Society—every Aux iliary and Branch Society—and of every friend of the Bible, who feels for those who are perishing for lack of knowledge ; to the great importance of obtaining a correct sta tisticHl account of the wants of everv town ship and settlement in the United States. This object, it is suggested, might be ef fected through the instrumentality of those who take the census of the several Slates, or by the collectors of taxes, or by the clerks of school districts, or by assessors— nr by special agents. The Board have commissioned the Rev. Sereno E. Dwight, of Bostoa, a member of this Society, now travelling for the benefit of his health in Europe, to represent this Society in any Bible Society or committee where be may have the privilege, and there to express (heir affectionate co-ope ration with them, and their best wishes for thrir success. The wauts of many portions of our coun try are represented as being far more ex tensive thau is generally supposed. In one of our western states, we are told that more than seventy thousand reader? are destitute of the bible, and in many districts of that state it is almost wholly unknown—nor does it appear that the wants of that state are greater than those of some others. No: there is not one state in the union fully sup plied. But a detailed account of every dis trict would swell this sketch to a forbidden extent. Yet, still, there are a few cases which may not be omitted. The state of Missouri, possessing a population of more than eighty thousand, has not in circulation ten thousand bibles. The state of Illinois, nearly equal in population, does not possess an equal number of bibles. In the state of Alabama, io Madison county, it was ascer lained that in one district, containing 655 white inhabitants, there were but 69 bibles; and more than 2000 bibles are necessary for the supply of that county alone. The Bible Society of that place is taking meas ures to ascertain and supply the wants of the whole county. Several of the auxilia ries to the Connecticut Reserve Bible Soci ety are pursuing tbe same course. But so vast is the extent of our western slates, and so rapidly increasing is tbe pop olation, that the managers cannot but look forward to their condition with painful emotions and gloomy forebodings, with the present means of the Society. The popu latioo increases faster than they can multi ply Bibles. Nor is the scarcity in those ex tensive regions, confined to the western states. In the State of New Jersey, aod almost within sight of the Society’s House, in that region called the Pines, in Camden, Haddenfield, Clemington and Speedwell, &c. as we learn from the last report of the Nassau Hall Bible Society, (whose agents have examined all that region) many fami lies were found who did not possess the Bi* ble, and not a few, who had never seen one! and whole neighbourhoods, io which there was not a single copy to be found. In all that part of the southeastern section of the State, lately explored, there were very few copies of the Scriptures. In the State of New York too, there is a most deplorable scarcity. In the county of Monroe* there were found about 1200 * It is but justice to the citizens of the county of Monroe, to state that a most praise-worthy ex ample has been set upon this subject. When ! tbo destitute situation of many families in that families destitute. In the county of Jeffer son, in the town of Champion, more than half of those who are able to read, are des titute of the Bible. And in the city of N York, in a small section of a single street, aod on one side of the street, there were found, a few months since, forty six families wholly destitute of the Gospel. The next division of this interesting re port relates to the means of supply. Tbe demand, as the reader will have seen, is very great; aod the only means by which it can be met, is by the exertions of auxili aries—the growing liberality of the rich— the praise-worthy economy of the poor— and the combined activity of all. |i is men tioned under this head, that tbe Massachu setts Bible Society has made a timely dona tion to this institution, of $500; and the AI bany Society hasfurnished an important pre cedent, by paying over to this Society its permanent fund ot 900 dollars, conditioned that they should receive in return the in terest thereof in Bibles and Testaments, at cost prices. Forty four new Auxiliary Societies have been added during the past year; making, in all, 451 recognized auxiliaries to the pa rent institution The activity and zeal of all these are particularly spoken of and (he college auxiliaries are highly commended and are generally in a flonri-hing situation. That ot Yale numbers more than 240 mem hers. The Society of the University of North Carolina enrois on its books every member of that flourishing institution. The Nassau Hall Bible Society is still actively engaged in the different parts of New Jei sey/ The members of these College Aux iliaries, as the report justly remarks are the flower of our country, and the hope ot her future glory: are destined to fill her important official stations, and perform her varied professional ditties. Their vnlunta ry submission to this early course of train ing in Bible Society operations, cannot fail to excite in every mind the most certain expectations of great benefit to the great work, from their future enlightened and influential assistance. A suitable notice of approbation is likewise bestowed upon the female auxiliaries scattered through thc country ; of the Marine Bible Societies, and of the labours of the Bible Society of New Orleans. Since the Board made arrangements for publishing a stereotype pocket edition of the Bihle, the British and Foreign Bible Society, with the wonted liberality of that splendid inslitntion, offered as a donation, a set of plates of suitable size, or, if more agreeable, the value of them in money Bui, relying upon their own resources, and believing that ‘he amount might be dispos ed of to greater advantage elsewhere, the Board felt constrained to decline the offer. The next division of tbe report is devot ed to an account of the alterations made in the organization of the Society, in reaped of the Secretaries, in consequence of the illness and consequent resignation of thp Rev. Dr. Woodhuli. with all the particulars of which the publick have already been made acquainted. Nor is the illness of their Domestick and their revered Foreign Secretary, the severest affliction of which the managers have to sppak. They havi been called to mourn over the death of three of their most efficient and beloved fellow managers, viz: Divie Bethune, who departed this life in September lasi— and Georoe Warner, who departed this life in January last—and Thomas Carpenter ; and last of all, on the 25th day of April, the be loved and respected Senior Vice President, Gen. Matthew Clarkson. After a brief notice of tbe aid which the great cause receive* from Societies not aux iltary, among which the societies of Phila delphia, Montreal,Fredericktown, (in New Brunswick,) and No'va Scotia, are particu larly mentioned, the report takes a survey of the Eastern Continent. This part of the report is so rich in information, so compre hensive and so interesting, that we must take in much more than we had intended. In Calcutta, Ihe Bible Association has adopt ed the system of District inquiry, end have succeeded very well; and are now helping the Hindoos, Mahommedans, Portuguese and Armenians, who receive Ihe bihle with great readiness, and some of them contrib ute with great liberality. From Seram pore, Burmah, Bombay and Madrass, intel ligence of the most gratifying kind has been received in relation to the progress of trans lations, and the circulation of the Scrip lures in the various languages of the east. As also, from Ceylon and Amboyria, from Sydney, in New South Wales, and Hua hame. Two versions of the whole bible, in the Chinese langimge, have been com county was discovered, the feelings of the wise and good were shocked. They sent into every school district in the county, to ascertain the ex tent of the want. A meeting was then held in Rochester, and a resolution unanimously adopted, “ that every family in the county of Monroe, should be supplied with a Bible.” The bead of their subscription paper was in tbe following words :—lf is do hereby subscribe and pay towards the fund for supplying the poor with the. Bible, as Ihe Lord hath prospered us.” “ I7e that giveth to the poor, lendeth to the Lord ” “He that sowsth sparingly, shall reap also spar, ingly.” And having thus resolved, they acted. Their first order on the depository, was for 1200 Bibles and 1100 Testaments, in all 2300 and their first remittance to Ihe Treuirr. was fit, handred mi eightg dallgr. / * [Price S3 50 per atm. Ipleted, and are now in circulation. One by Dr. Marshman, and the other by Dr. ! Morrison and Dr. Miloe. By this means, 240.000,000 of people in China, Cochin China and Japan, may be enabled to read tbe scriptures in Iheir own language. The society of Sierra Leone, is in a flourishing state, and continually extending its benign influence—even there tbe doeipstirk visita tion is vigorously and beneficially pursued; and there, the privilege and the duty of searching the scriptures seem to be well understood. The society of Mauritius, while it endeav ours to relieve its own domestick wants, ex tends its helpinj hand to the army, the na vy and the schools of that island: and the society of the Cape of Good Hope is doing much. Dr. Phillip writes thus, to the Brit ish aod Foreign Bible Society, in relation to the sphere of its action—“ The discove ries daily making, lead to a supposition that all languages, spoken from Keiskamma to the Arabian Gulf—and from the mouth of Zembeze to that of the Congo, are derived from the parent stock; and so nearly allied to each other, as greatly to facilitate the translation and circulation of the Holy Scriptures. Who does not see io these cir cumstances a field of operation of unlimited extent—a population to work upon innu merable—a foundation laid for Ihe. Temple of Jehovah, in Southern Africa; in which ail (he numerous dialects of the Bootcbuane language will be consecrated to the service ot tbe living God; and in which its numer ous tribes may worship, and receive the .ight of life and salvation?” The Bihle Society of Mattatoo, is pros pering m its labour of love, and already has the light of divine truth shined out beyond them into the darkness of Egypt. The American mis?iooanes bare distributed nearly a thousand copies of ifie bible m that benighted country. They write from Aric mim, “ that it was highly gratifying io see the priests zealously stirring up the people to purchase the word of God.” And again “ we feel authorized to state that the Cop tick Church, has lifted up its voice in favour of the Bible Sociely, and the distribution of the Scriptures. The Patriarchs, the Bish ops, tbe Priests, the people—call to the Bi ble Society and say, help us!!”—Jews and Mahommedaus join io the cry, and are wil ling Io purchase the bible for themselves. The Society is also enlightening the holy land, whither it ha? sent several thousand copies of the bible, in the Arabick, Armeni an, French, Hebrew, English, Italian, Greek, Ethiopick, Syrian, and Sclavs tan languages. The Amharick version, front the press of the B. and F. B. S at home, has already come forth into Abyssinia, and tbe Ethiopick version will soon follow it, and help Ethiopia io stretching out her band to God. Throughout Asia Minor and Turkey, io Europe, the bible is beginning to shed its light and diffuse its love. At Constantinople, even there has been something effected in the holy labour and facilities given to the circulation of the scriptures in the Turkish language, and io sending them into many surrounding coun tries. How far the late firman of the Sul tan may effect the spread of the bible, re mains to be known. Through the lonian- Bible Society, the Isles of the Sea have re ceived a small supply of (be Law of God. In Russia, the Bible cause, u is hoped, is -till gaining ground The National In.-ti • utioD has 289 auxiliaries and branches; hag issued the scriptures m 23 different langua ges, which have been freely circulated. Tbe Riga Sociely alone has put the Bio| e into circulation in M different languages • and in New Pehalz, a branch of ih* Riga Society has no less than 2340 members! * From Sweden, the Bible news is highly gratifying. The National Society at St <k holm, and the Ladies’ Association of that city, are highly prosperous. The former has already put in circulation more than 200,000 Bibles and Testaments. The Ara sian Bible Society—the Heraosand Ladies* Society—the Carlscrona Fleet Society,— are doing well, and give promise of much future usefulness. The Danish Bible Society has sent out more than a hundred thousand Bibles and Testaments; and tbe Sleswig (Holstwin) Society more than fifty thousand, and Rens burgh about fiw thousand. Tbe Prussian Bible Society has issued, according to the last accounts from its cen tral Depository, 11,022 Bibles and Testa ments. and from its forty.two Auxiliaries, 22,400 copies. The Konigsbnrgh Society—the Dantzig Society —the Pomeranian Societies of Stet tiu and Slralsund—the Silesian. Br-mlzlau, and Potsdam—the Kreutznauth, Neuvried, and Cologne Bible Societies, —are all pros pering, and hastening onward the fulfilment of the promise, that “ the knowledge of thft Lord shall cover the earth.” There is a noble spirit of benevolence kindled up in Germany. The Bible msti tutions through the whole of that great em pire, are generally (joing well, and increas ing both in eeal and usefulness. Tbe Ham burgh Altona Society has distributed al ready between twenty and thirty thousand copies of the scriptures. The Hannveriao Society aod it* Auxiliaries are settings good Waapl* It all irsiH Uia. The Saxoaj